Few people quit a round of golf before tapping in the final putt on the 18th hole, but Kaden Wetjen had a valid excuse for doing so. 

Midway through his round at Stone Creek Golf Club in his hometown of Williamsburg, Iowa, Wetjen received a phone call. Most golfers silence their phones to not let the ringing distract them from the beauty of the golf course, but Wetjen had to pick up the phone on this one. 

The caller was none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they told Wetjen they would be selecting him with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. After hanging up the phone, Wetjen left the golf course and celebrated with family and friends at home. 

Hearing your name called in the NFL Draft is one of the greatest joys a football player can experience, especially from one of the NFL's most iconic franchises. 

But the Steelers didn't draft Wetjen in the fourth round just to waive him before the season begins - they drafted him with the intent of using his skills to repeat as AFC North division champions in 2026. 

Here's how Wetjen fits in the Steel City: 

Though he was used as a wide receiver during his career with the Hawkeyes, Wetjen's small 5-foot-9, 196-pound stature will probably hold him back from being a true wideout in the NFL, but that doesn't mean new head coach Mike McCarthy won't try and use Wetjen's speed to give a boost to 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers and this rebuilding offense. 

The one role you're almost guaranteed to see Wetjen on this Pittsburgh team is the return specialist. The Steelers would be doing themselves a major disservice if they didn't have Wetjen return kicks and punts in 2026. 

Why? Because Wetjen may be the best return specialist to be drafted since another former Hawkeye, Tim Dwight, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1998. 

Wetjen set just about every record he possibly could during his historic 2025 campaign with Iowa. He's the only player in Hawkeye history to record a rushing, receiving, kick return, and punt return touchdown in the same season and the only player in Big Ten history to collect three punt return scores and one kick return touchdown in a season. 

Wetjen will take some time to get used to the NFL's dynamic kickoff rule, but once he settles in, he could be a dangerous piece for a Pittsburgh offense that ranked near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories last season. 

The Steelers never had consistency with return specialists in 2025, using a plethora of different players (primarily Kenneth Gainwell and Ke'Shawn Williams). It didn't work, as Pittsburgh's return unit ranked 28th in the NFL. 

Wetjen isn't guaranteed to get the bulk of the return reps in 2026, but his skillset fits the Steelers' needs like a glove. 

Get ready for some electricity at Acrisure Stadium this season, Steeler Nation. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]